Advertising device.



H. V. SHEPPARD.

ADVERTISING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. '31. I916.

1,24%379, Petented Sept. 18,1917.

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ADVERTISING DEVICE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that" I, HERBERT V. SHEPPARD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Worcester, in the county of Worcester and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Advertising Devices, of which the following, together with the accompanying drawin s is a specification.

y present invention relates to an advertising device, comprising an illuminated screen upon which shadows are thrown by means of an opaque figure, and it has for its object to produce the appearance of movement of the opaque figure while the latter remains stationary. I accomplish this result by the operation of an apparatus as hereinafter described, the novel features of my invention being pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 represents a front view of an advertising device embodying my present invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same, with the top or cover of the apparatus removed to disclose the interior mechanism.-

Fig. 3 is a front view upon a larger scale, with the screen removed, and

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view on'the plane of the broken line 44, Fig. 3.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts in the different figures.

My improved advertising device comprises a box or casing 1 containing the operating mechanism. The front side of the casing is left open and is closed by a screen 2, of cloth or similar semi-transparent material. At some distance behind the screen 2 is mounted a stationary opaque figure 3, and at the rear of the figure 3 and at opposite corners of the box I place two electric lamps 4, 5. If the lamps 4 and 5 are lighted and extinguished alternately, the shadow of the figure 3 will be thrown upon the screen 2 in different positions. When the lamp 4 is lighted, the shadow 9f the figure 3 will be thrown upon the screen between the points 6 and 7 and when the lamp 5 is lighted, the shadow of the figure 3 W111. be thrown upon the screen between the pomts 8 and 9. By thus shifting the pes1tion of the shadows, the figure producing them will have the appearance of moving. The

amount of apparent movement will depend Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 18, 191

Application filed March 31, 1916. Serial No. 88,140.

upon the distance between the screen 2 and the opaque figure 3.

The electric current for supplying the lamps 4 and 5 I utilize for operating the mechanism by which the lam s are alternately lighted and extinguish which conslsts, in the present instance, of an electromagnet 10, comprising a core 11 around which a wire for conducting electricity is wound in multiple layers. At one end of the magnet 10 is suspended an armature 12, capable of swinging freely upon a spindle 13 held in posts 14, 14. Bearing against the upper end of the swinging armature 12 is an insulated spring 15, which holds the lower end of the armature 12 against a metallic contact piece 16. a

At the opposite end of the magnet is suspended a-second-armature 17, capable of swinging freely upon a spindle 18 supported in posts 19, 19. The armature 17 carries at its lower end pins 20 and 21 projecting from opposite sides of the armature 17. Upon one side of the pin 21 is a blade spring 22, and upon the opposite side of the pin 20 is a blade spring 23. As the armature 17 hangs by gravity in a vertical plane, the pins 20 and 21 are out of contact with the springs 22 and 23. Wires 24 and 25 connect the spindles l3 and 18 with a source of electricity, and the metallic contact piece 16 is connected by a wire 26 with one end of the Wire coiled about the core 11' of the magnet. The opposite end of the coiledwire is connected with a wire 27 which is connected with a wire 28 returning to the source of electrical supply, and thereby completing a circuit through the coils" of the magnet. As the magnet becomes energized, the swinging armature 12 is drawn away from the contact piece 16, which breaks the circuit and demagnetizes the core 11. When this occurs, the spring 15 will instantly throw the swinging armature 12 against the contact piece 16, again completing the circuit and energizing the magnet. The magnet 10 will, therefore, be rapidly brought into and out of the electric circuit, the core 11 becoming magnetized and demagnetized. in succession. When the core 11 is magnetized, the swinging armature 17 is drawn toward the magnet, bringing the pin 20 against the spring 23 and causing the current to pass through the wire 25, spindle 18, armature 17, spring 23 and wire 29 to the lamp 5, the circuit through the lamp being completed by the wire 30and wire 28.

As soon as the magnet becomes dema g netized, the spring 23, which has been I slightly compressed byvv the pressure of the pin 20, immediately throws the lower end of the armature 17 away from the magnet, the momentum of the armature carryin the pin '21 against-the spring 22. The spring 22 is connected by the wire 31 with the lamp 4,

. the-circuit through-the lamp 4 bein completed by the wire 32' and wire 28. operationof the above described apparatus,

y the the lamps 4 and .5 will be alternately lighted and ext1nguished,- causin the shadow of the I opaque figure 3 to be shi ed on the screen 2.

I do not wish to confine myself to the above described apparatus for alternately and also to produce their. alternatioin T e I .character'a apted toproducethe-similitude lighting and extinguishing the lamps 4 and 5 as I am awarethat other means may be employed. The apparatus- I have described,

however, is simple and continuous in its operation; so long as the source of electric current is supphed. and a single source of electricity serves toilluminate the lam s figure 3 ma be of any fanciful design'of a of the moving object. In the" accompanyi'ng drawings the outlines of the fi positions .33 and 34. I claim:"

1. An advertisingdevice comprising a screen, separated sources of illumination% anobject placed between said: sources 0 from, two separatesources for illuminating illumination and said pfscreen' but spaced from.- said screeen, whereby a} shadow, v will f .be thrown uponsaid screenfb'y eacha firce' of illumination :but in .difi'erent positionssemitransparent screen, v I placed behmd-said screen and spaced there nately.

e are represented upon the screeninkFig-lin' 'sion.

said screen placeclbehind said ,opaque object and means for illuminating said screen from each of saidsources alternately,

whereby shadows of said object will be,

in a position substantially midway between said electric lamps, and means for alternately breaking the electric circuit leading to each of said lamps, whereby the shadow of said opaquefigure will be thrown upon the screen in two difl'erent 4. An screen, a figure spaced from said screen, means for projecting a shadow of the figure on said screen, and means for changing the direction :of the illumination, whereby the position of the shadow is changed. v

-5'.1T he"-combination of a closed casing" positions alteradvertising device, comprising a having at one of its sides a semitransparent screen for the projection of a shadow thereon, an object at the rear of said screen, but

tltherefrom, capable of intercepting rays of ight, two sources of illumination inclosedin said casing in a. plane at therear of said object but spaced apart, whereby a shadow 'rojected by each of said sources of illumination will be varied in position on said screen, and means for cutting ofi [the illumination of said screen from each of said sources alternately in rapid succes- Witnesses: RUrUs' B. FOWLER,

PnNELorE COMBEBBAOH.

BBER'IYV; S EPPARD. 

